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Reindeer and caribou Rangifer tarandus in the wild and under pastoralism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2009

Robert Paine
Robert Paine
Affiliation:
Institute of Social and Economic Research. Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Newfoundland, CanadaA1C 5S7
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Abstract

Reindeer and caribou, respectively Old World and New World forms of Rangifer tarandus, live in large groups in the boreal forest and on the Arctic tundra. Many stocks of reindeer are herded by pastoralists. This article reviews the ecology, breeding biology and herding behaviour of both forms, as revealed by recent field studies. It identifies breeding synchrony, dominance and leadership as important aspects of their social organization, mediated by a system of signals that keep the herds together, and discusses the significance of pastoral practices that maintain herd organization and make reindeer herding possible.

Type
Articles
Information
Polar Record , Volume 24 , Issue 148 , January 1988 , pp. 31 - 42
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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